Ballast mounting box



March 13, 1962 J. P. E. K001 BALLAST MOUNTING BOX Filed NOV. 12, 1959 FIG. 2

IN VE N TOR JOHAN PETER ENGEL KOO/ nited States This invention relates to a casing of the type custome arily used to house a ballast for fluorescent lighting fixtures and the like.

Ballast casings comprise a housing with mounting feet thereon which are customarily integral with the housing. The integral feet complicate the manufacture of the housing and accordingly make it relatively expensive to produce. They further restrict the mounting position to one in which the feet will cooperate with the mounting surface.

I have devised a housing having a base and a cover that are held together by means of a clip from which mounting feet extend. The housing is formed with a cut-away portion over which a side of the clip extends. The clip has holes that align with the cut-away portion in the housing through Which electrical lead-s can be taken.

A housing according to my invention is easy to make because neither the base nor cover have mounting feet formed integrally therewith. It is also possible to provide for more universal mounting of the housing because the clip is capable of engaging the base and cover in two positions. The invention will be clearly understood after reference to the following detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one end of a housing, it being understood that the other end is identical, and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a complete housing but showing the clip removed from the housing.

The ballast housing illustrated has a base and a cover 12 therefor that fits over the open upper side of the base to form a closed housing, having a top 16, a bottom 18, and four sides 20.

The base and cover are secured together by means of clips 22. Clips 22 are generally U-shaped in cross-section and have an arm 24, an arm 26, .and a base 28 adapted to embrace the top 16, the bottom 18, and a side 20, respectively of the housing.

Each of the clips 22 is also provided with mounting feet 40 that extend outwardly from the bases thereof at one side, by which one can appropriately mount the ballast housing in an operative position in use.

In use lead wires are conducted from the electrical ballast transformer and associated parts on the interior of the housing through grommeted holes 32 or 34 in the clips 22 through which electrical leads can be threaded. One of the holes 32 or 34 at a time overlays a cut-away portion 30 in the end wall of the housing embraced by the clip whereby to form a restricted through opening for the lead wire.

It will be noted that the clips 22 can be caused to embrace the housing in two positions 180 apart. One of the two positions is illustrated in the drawings. However, it will be appreciated that one could remove the clips from the housing, turn them through 180, and replace them on the housing so that arm 26 engages the top 16 of the housing and arm 24 engages the bottom 18 of the housing. In this latter instance, hole 34 and not hole 32 would align with the cutaway portion of the side atent of the housing. The purpose of providing two holes 32 and 34 for the lead lines from the interior of the housing is to permit the mounting lugs 4-6 to be disposed at either the top or the bottom of the housing, and always have a hole 32 or 34 in alignment with the cut-away portion 30.

The arms 24 and 26 of the clips 22 are adapted to spring into position as the clips embrace the casing, and in this connection, it will be noted that the edges 44 and 42 of the housing are spaced apart to cause the arms 24 and 26 respectively to yield as the clip is pushed over them. inwardly of the edges the bottom and top of the housing is recessed in the direction of application of the clip so that the arms of the clip can reassert themselves and nest in the depression formed in the top and bottom of the housing whereby the clip is locked in embracing relation with the case by its own resilience.

In use, a ballast or the like is mounted in the casing with the lead line extending out of the opening 30. The lead lines are then threaded through an appropriate grommeted hole 32 or 34 of the clip and the clips are sprung into position over the casing sections.

I claim:

1. In combination a housing for a ballast and a clip, said housing having a base and a cover, said clip being adapted to secure said base and cover together and to provide means for mounting said housing, said base and cover when in co-operating position defining a closed housing having a top, a bottom and sides, said clip being generally U-shaped and having an arm adapted to embrace said top of said housing, an arm adapted to embrace said bottom of said housing, a base adapted to embrace a side of said housing, and mounting feet extending outwardly from said base at one side thereof only, the side of said housing that is adapted for embracing engagement by said base of said clip being formed with a cut-away portion, the base of said clip being adapted to overlie said cut-away portion of said side, said clip being formed with a first threading hole for an electrical lead and with a second threading hole for an electrical lead spaced from said first threading hole, both said first hole and said second hole being smaller than the area of said cut-away portion of said side, said clip being adapted to embrace said housing in two positions apart from each other, said first hole being adapted to align with said cut-away portion of said side only when said clip embraces said housing in one of two positions, said second hole being adapted to align with said cut-away portion of said side only when said clip embraces said housing in the other of said two positions, the first mentioned position.

2. A housing and clip as claimed in claim 1 in which the said cut-away portion of said side comprises an open slot formed in a marginal portion of said base.

3. A housing as claimed in claim 1 in which said top and said bottom have edges that cause said clip to yield as said clip is pushed thereover and with a recessed surface inwardly of said edges that permits said clip to reassert itself as said clip is pushed thereover whereby said clip is in a locked embracing relation with said case.

4. A housing as claimed in claim 1 having more than one of said clips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,375 Stodneck June 2, 192.5 2,665,353 Popp Jan. 5, 1954 2,680,533 Cole June 8, 1954 2,873,082 Gillespie Feb. 10, 1959 

